International production team for lighting, video and rigging in the National Stadium of Malaysia

The 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 2017 took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 19th to 30th August 2017. A total of eleven nations, including the host country Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, fought for medals in more than 38 sports in the largest sporting competition in the Southeast Asian region. For the opening ceremony in Bukit Jalil, the event management service provider Memories Entertainment had extensive support from PRG.

Production Resource Group (PRG) was responsible for the Rigging, Lighting and Video as part of the large event in Malaysia's national stadium. This was a joint effort between PRG Germany, PRG Belgium, PRG Projects, PRG Gearhouse and PRG Japan, with the support of the PRG Alliance partner "The Show Company”. PRG Germany supplied the complete rigging and lighting technology, PRG Belgium the Video Technology and PRG Projects around 40,000 Pixel Tablets, which were developed in 2012 especially for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Games in London. The team of PRG Gearhouse and PRG Japan supported the colleagues with event technology and manpower.

In addition to the 40,000 Pixel Tablets, the event technology package included 88 Panasonic video projectors, five D3 media servers, around 800 Moving Lights from PRG, Vari-Lite, Clay Paky and GLP, 250 SGM Q7 LED floodlights, as well as a grandMA2 system.

The international PRG team comprised 43 people from Germany, Belgium, France, England, Spain and Dubai. In addition, 12 event students from Singapore worked as followspot operators during the live broadcast on TV and Internet. Despite the hot temperatures, the extreme humidity in Kuala Lumpur as well as the tight production time window, including constantly revised directories, PRG, in cooperation with other service providers, ensured a flawless and smooth running of the opening ceremony of the SEA Games 2017.

ECA2 produced a spectacular opening ceremony on the Danube in front of the Budapest Castle and the Chain Bridge in association with the Cultural center MÜPA Budapest for the Opening Ceremony of the World Swimming Championships on July 14th.

PRG France, contracted as lighting, sound, video projection, scenic LED displays, and power distribution (Aggreko), supported this technical and artistic production by transforming the historic centre and the Danube into a full-fledged massive show, entirely run by time-code.

The audio system consisted of a complete L Acoustics kit (K2/K1Sub/SB28/SB18/Kara2/Arcsll), with a DANTE broadcast network, two Yamaha CL1 & CL5 consoles and a Digital Performer station.

In terms of video technology, PRG installed around 300m2 of LED Absen X5 screens on the background display columns, 8 mapping zones on the stage by video projection with Panasonic PTDZ21k, a video projection on a water-screen (Barco’s HDQ-40K VPs) and 100 autonomous HEX Panels with built-in media servers for the artists performing the choreography. The control booth had 4x D3 4x5 and 2x D3 2.5 servers.

This vast technical production was a joint effort between ECA2 and the PRG subsidiaries in France, Belgium, and PRG Projects, with technicians from across the globe (Belgium, France, Qatar, Estonia, Italy, Spain, China, and England). 1,800 working days were needed for pre-production, installation, and operation during the ceremony by our 42 technicians, operators and on-site managers.

The highlights of the ceremony were PRG Projects’ Hex Panels, which in combination with the video mapping on the scene, the LED columns and the projection images on the water-screen and the illumination of the castle, the bridge and the quays, illuminated the city beautifully.
Magical laser effects and a magnificent firework also accompanied this spectacular ceremony.

Once again, ECA2 succeeded in producing an extraordinary show combining technologies, special effects, art and scenography.

We would like to extend our warmest thanks to our long-time customer ECA2 for the trust they have placed in our PRG teams for the last 18 years, resulting each time in high quality result and sublime performances, thanks to a flawless commercial, technical and logistical collaboration.

The Tiziano Ferro Tour 2017 started in Lignano Sabbiadoro on the 11th of June and will end on the 15th of July in Florence, with a total of 13 stadium gigs all over Italy.

PRG Belgium was commissioned by Live Nation Italy and the show designer Claudio Santucci for the video and motion technology of the tour. In collaboration with video content designer Romain Sabella, PRG Belgium & PRG Projects created an exceptional performance, enhancing the emotionally intensive atmosphere of the stage, for which our customized contribution of a video ceiling in motion, including the catwalk on top and the video floor of the stage are the highlights of this magnificent stage.

In terms of video technology, PRG Belgium provides 2 ROE MC-18 LED screens (18m width x 9m height), 2 ROE MC-7HB LED screens (3,6m x 13,2m), including a motion system to open and close the video passage at the back of the stage.
For the flooring of the stage, PRG Projects created custom-made frames to integrate PLED207D video tiles (7m width x 18m length). The revolutionary aspect of the show remains with the moving LED ceiling (7,2m width, 19,2m height, in Pixled F12), also engineered and customized by PRG Projects.

In terms of automation, PRG Belgium worked with subcontractor Wi-Creations. The motion of the video ceiling consists of 18 EVO moving hoists, with a total weight of approximately 11 tonnes. There is also a 21m long track to open and close the back video wall, of which each screen weighs approximately 3 tonnes. On top of that, 13 EVO 500kg and 2 EVO 800kg moving hoists were supplied for the lighting trusses, water curtain and the laser pod. The whole of the motion was piloted via a Kynesys K2 control system.

Watch the vidéo of the Tiziano Ferro Tour 2017!

Considering the challenging build-up times which are knowingly very short in the touring industry, the PRG Crew consists of 13 people (10 video technicians and 3 for motion), in order to set up and dismantle the whole installation as fast as possible.

Frederic Opsomer, General Manager PRG Projects, comments: “The building of the video ceiling had to be easy and quick, so we created a customized system in which the video panels could lock in quickly. The main challenge was to reduce the weight of the suspended structure and motion system for which we used as much aluminium trussing structure as possible.”

Wim Despiegelaere, PRG Account Manager, adds: “We would like to thank Roberto de Luca, Antonella Lodi and Alberto Muller from Live Nation Italy, for trusting us with this beautiful challenge and great collaboration! Once again this was a fruitful collaboration with our colleagues from PRG Projects, who made this special set possible with their engineering and customization know-how.
A special thanks to the whole of the crew and their admirable dedication to this project!”

Production Resource Group LLC, (PRG), the world’s leading provider of entertainment and event technology solutions, announced today that a new product innovation along with the application of an industry-first technology solution – SPACEFRAMETM and a 4K Broadcast Camera System – have been integrated into the design, production and operations for the U2 The Joshua Tree Tour 2017. Both solutions demonstrate PRG’s dedication to innovating products that anticipate the needs of tour managers, designers and artists seeking to push boundaries and deliver a more immersive concert experience onsite or virtually.

“SPACEFRAME and the 4K Broadcast Camera System perfectly demonstrate how PRG excels at seeing an opportunity for innovation that will add operational, economic and creative value from a customer’s perspective, allowing artists to more freely tell their story,” said Steve Greenberg, PRG’s CEO of Global Music/TV/Film.

SPACEFRAMETM
SPACEFRAME is a revolutionary touring frame design seamlessly integrating LED panels to provide industry-changing operational efficiencies and the opportunity for unlimited creative expression. The carbon fiber touring frame is ultra-lightweight, collapsible and fully wind braced creating an intensive built-in structural strength. This allows for a free-form approach to stage designs enabling artists and designers to think outside the conventional LED box. This latest patent-pending technology from PRG also dramatically reduces pre-tour engineering time, shipping footprint/weight, carbon emissions, load-in and load-out times, as well as labor required on tour and locally.

“The quality and resolution of LED products have vastly improved over the last decade, but the frames have basically stayed the same. At PRG Projects, we saw an opportunity to innovate the way in which LED walls were assembled and transported, to rethink the construction of the frame and how it might impact the operational side of the business as well as the design experience,” stated Frederic Opsomer, PRG Projects' Managing Director and innovation leader.

Leveraging in-house talent and partnerships already in place, PRG was able to produce the carbon frames from prototype to final product in just 17 weeks, enabling U2 to be the first to take advantage of the innovation. SPACEFRAME has allowed U2’s designer to create a 200 foot wide screen¬, custom painted in silver and gold to mimic the original artwork of their 1987 album.

4K Broadcast Camera System
The U2 tour also marks the introduction of PRG’s 4K (UHD) Broadcast Camera System as a first for concert touring. The PRG broadcast system, developed and integrated over three months, is a combination of products that can operate in 4K (UHD) and 3G SMPTE Standards. This design philosophy allows concurrent production to operate at the highest level of broadcast standards. The system delivers 60 frames per second (fps) with a UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.
The concert touring system interconnects cameras and LED wall processors on fiber because of the enormous amounts of data and length of signal distances. The entire broadcast touring system can be set up within an hour and is designed to be operated by one video engineer, eliminating the need for four-to-five onsite engineering positions.

“PRG has been a part of every U2 tour since 1992 and the band always challenges us with pushing technology to its limits,” said Wolfgang Schram, PRG’s director of video engineering. “We have to be creative and that is the fun part.”

Production Resource Group LLC (PRG) – the world’s largest supplier of technology and services for events and entertainment has announced the appointment of Simon Kayser as General Manager for its Sourcing & Projects Centre based in Shenzhen, China. Simon will report to Gary Boyd, Executive Vice President and COO, EMEA.

A Chinese-speaker, Simon already has extensive knowledge of the Chinese market from his role as Technical Director at PRG in China, where he has been the project manager for key inbound corporate and large automotive sector projects. His first PRG project in China was the Beijing New Year Lighting Show in 2000/1. In 2007 he returned to Shanghai for the World Summer Games, and in 2008 for the Beijing Games. In 2009 Simon moved to Shanghai for the World EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, and he has been based there since.

Putting his technical knowledge to use, Simon will now take charge of the Shenzhen operation, which is instrumental in sourcing video and lighting technology in China. Simon will work closely with Frederic Opsomer and the team at PRG Projects, who specialise in the development of custom LED for special events, touring projects and installations.

Simon’s appointment will enable PRG to expand its offshore sourcing projects, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and new technology.

“After spending the past eight years in Shanghai, I am looking forward to the new role and challenges. I leave behind a excellent team in Shanghai and look forward to the new team in Shenzhen. Developing, sourcing and especially customizing lighting and video gear for our customers and projects, is where I see great potential for PRG and our team in Shenzhen to deliver enhanced services to our customers”

“We are very pleased Simon has agreed to take on this new role in Shenzhen,” said Gary Boyd. “His technical expertise, coupled with his hands-on commercial experience of delivering projects in China, make him ideally placed to take on this new role, and further expand our ability to source and develop new products directly at the heart of China’s technology capital.”

Simon holds a Master of Engineering degree from University of Applied Science Hamburg (Dipl. Ing. (fh)), and he will relocate from his current role in Shanghai, settling in Shenzhen with his family.

Van Cleef & Arpels presents its new High Jewelry collection in an interpretation of Noah’s Ark by Robert Wilson. Wilson is an American set designer famed for his radiant, subtle and thrilling conceptions, with the scenography. PRG France worked together with PRG Projects to realise a custom made video solution in order to bring Wilson’s idea to live.

In his vision of the Ark, Robert Wilson imagined a sensory mise-en-scène plunged in the engulfing darkness. The constant screening of a video is reminiscent of the sea; the soft and enfolding piece of music evokes mystery; the skies darken as lightning streaks herald a storm, the Ark departs, and the ensuing respite hums like a promise of peace…
Robert Wilson creates a dreamlike travel through a positive and timeless interpretation of the of Noah’s Ark, evoking first of all a preserved paradise.

PRG created several custom made technical solution in order to display high resolution video content of over 11.000 pixels wide and more that 1200 pixels high. The content was intended to lower in brightness without losing the quality of the image.

In order to respond to the high expectations of the client, PRG invested in ROE Black Onyx 2 panels, with an amazing 2.84 pixel pitch, which is the most performing high-end product on the market. In total this represents more than 450 modules, adding up to more than 1800 tiles. 41 of these ROE LED displays were customised in order to integrate secured jewel boxes of 25 x 25 cm. The modules were laser cut to a tenth of mm precision. The challenge here was to make perfectly fitted box so they wouldn’t interfere with the electronics that control the individual modules of the display.

On the bottom of the construction, the standard base frames, which normally are of 8 to 12 cm height, were replaced by a custom made frame to result in a maximum height of 5cm and an insert of 3 cm to create a subtle border. We had to make sure that the lowered base frame could still carry the 5-ton screen weight, spread over a surface of 33 linear meters. Last but not least, PRG created a doorway of 1,5 x 2m within the LED, for visitors to enter the experience.

Production Resource Group LLC, (PRG), the world’s leading provider of entertainment and event technology solutions, announced today a new brand for their creative LED special projects team, formerly a subsidiary of XL Video.

Now known as PRG Projects, the team, led by Frederic Opsomer and Kristof Soreyn, is renowned for creating and providing innovative custom video solutions. The teams are based at PRG’s location in Ostend, Belgium and in China. The new PRG Projects team will also incorporate, and work more closely with, the former XL Video research and development team based in Shenzhen, China. The combined expertise of the team has already been responsible for realizing some of the most technology-forward designs and custom installations in concert touring, large-scale spectacles, television, and sporting events, including ceremonies in Athens, London, and Sochi over the last several years.

In addition to working with the team in Ostend, PRG Projects in Shenzhen will continue to focus on sourcing LED products in China for PRG and for PRG Alliance partners.

“PRG Projects’ goals are now positioned to fit PRG’s overall vision to create bespoke creative LED products for all of the different market segments in which we are active,” explains Opsomer. “The designers and project managers that we have on our team, in both Ostend and Shenzhen, have decades of experience in creating and producing the world’s most innovative solutions.”

“PRG Projects leads the entertainment technology industry in advancing the creative application of LED technology and are an incredible asset for PRG and our clients,” says Stephan Paridaen, President & Chief Operating Officer, Production Resource Group. “The team, which consists of a range of creative and innovative experts in the field of custom video solutions, has a strong focus on innovation, product development, and system packaging. The team also works closely with strategic manufacturing partners to help develop and refine technology and options that meets the needs of producers and creatives in all of our markets.”

PRG Alliance is well known for its select membership with solutions in technical production for events and entertainment globally. Today it announces its expansion to a wider offering of services with logistic company DB Schenker as its newest member.

DB Schenker is a global leader in production and event logistics – with over 1,000 staff in 50 countries handling specialized event logistic operations dedicated to customer service, quality and sustainability – values that go hand-to-hand with the purpose of PRG Alliance.
Besides its integrated door-to-door intermodal logistic solutions, managing and operating customers’ transportation chains through land, rail, air and ocean freight services; the company has a specialized division for the events industry. DB SCHENKERsportsevents has expertise in sports tournaments, corporate road shows, concert touring and a wide range of international events providing unique services. They provide support during the planning phase, consultation on the specific regulations for each country, special transport for fragile items, temporary import customs assistance - and additional supplies such as crowd barriers, forklifts and cranes.
“We are eager to begin our partnership under the Logistics Category with this prestigious platform. Our worldwide reach matches perfectly with PRG Alliance locations and its visibility in the production and event industry”, says Nick Kashiparekh, Director of DB SCHENKERsportsevents.

PRG Alliance reaches an important milestone with the addition of DB Schenker to its membership. “We understand that a smooth logistic service is a game-changer in our industry. We are often working with tight schedules and being able to count on DB Schenker’s unique event experience is a great benefit to us. Our goal is to have additional event production services in the Alliance in the future, adding even more value to our members and customers”, says Tom Van Hemelryck, Director of PRG Alliance.

PRG Alliance is present today in 25 countries in all continents. The complete list of participant companies and news are available on the PRG Alliance website: www.prgalliance.com.

Production Resource Group, L.L.C., (PRG) recently marked the two year anniversary of its global partner network program with the second PRG Alliance Summit. Under the theme ‘Gearing Up For Success’, the Summit took place during the Prolight + Sound 2016 trade fair at the Festhalle Messe Frankfurt.

Since its inception, the PRG Alliance has grown in both size and reputation, and now offers technology, services and support to event producers in a total of twenty five countries.

There are now fifteen member companies which make-up the PRG Alliance. The newest addition is DB Schenker – the first member supplying services other than audiovisual. DB Schenker supports the Alliance members with specialized logistics for events with a large worldwide presence and multi-modal transportation requirements.

The PRG Alliance Summit is already a key date on the calendar for members, allowing them to meet face to face, share knowledge and best practices, and increase their collaboration. The location of the Summit at Prolight + Sound also enables them to meet at an event where the newest and most exiting technology is on display.

This year’s Summit included a presentation of the PRG Alliance’s future plans from Alliance Director, Tom Van Hemelryck, and Account Manager, Luciana Rosa, which include expansion into new regions, opportunities for training, and the aim to include a wider variety of service companies. There are also confirmed regional summits around Infocomm in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and Palm Expo in Beijing, China.

After the introduction, members of the Alliance shared their experiences and knowledge acquired during the past year, including a custom-shaped large-scale LED floor and wall for concert touring; special lighting for fashion shows; and the logistical issues facing shows located in unusual or remote locations.

Following this the PRG Projects team shared examples of their work with custom LED projects for major opening ceremonies including wireless hex panels and pixel tablets seen by millions around the world.

“Watching the presentations, we see the potential applications for these technologies in Italy – we are always eager to bring new services to our clients and we see the potential for customized LED solutions in our market,” commented Alessandro Rossani, CTO of STS Communications in Italy.

Members also enjoyed a presentation from Chris Reed of Restless Communications on the best ways for technical production companies to use social media to promote their brands; and this was followed by sessions from Minesh Pore, General Manager of Pico Europe on working with corporate clients and managing expectations, and Lee Charteris, VP Operations, Flash Entertainment on the challenges of producing concerts and events in emerging markets.

Alliance member Ally Yoon, CEO of Ally & Co. in Korea commented: “The content of the summit is very helpful to us in Korea. We are right now in the middle of a production with PRG for a corporate event in Seoul and getting the insight on client expectation helps us to improve our services.”

The Summit concluded with a dinner in the Festhalle which further enabled the members to network with each other.

“We see how the PRG Alliance is well established and continues growing through making personal connections between the members and with the market,” said Tom Van Hemelryck, Director of PRG Alliance. “We carefully select the members and I am happy to have such an unprecedented group of companies with high-quality technical production services working together on several events in the last year – success always comes from collaboration.”

PRG XL Video, event services and event technology specialist, will be present at this year’s Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt and will be showcasing a broad program as well as various innovations. As in previous years, PRG will be located in the “Festhalle“ hall, which also hosts the PRG Live Entertainment Award on 4th April 2016, the evening before the exhibition officially opens.

For the first time, this year’s award ceremony will include acts from the entire German-speaking DACH region, consisting of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The awards will be presented in front of 1300 guests during a “carbon neutral“ event.

For the duration of the Prolight + Sound the “Festhalle“ will be the exclusive presentation and showroom area for PRG XL Video and their cooperation partners. During this time, visitors can expect a show that will be even bigger then last year's event, including more than 1,000 light fixtures, video mapping, lasers, special effects, sound systems as well as kinetic solutions. The show will demonstrate the latest event technology in action. Visitors can also look forward to a backstage tour that includes a look at the equipment used for the PRG LEA award ceremony and also the 3D projections of the “Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis“ and a virtual warehouse tour, which is brought to live by ten projectors in the “Festhalle“.

At this year‘s Prolight + Sound PRG Video XL will also focus on presenting its wide service range. The division PRG Alliance will be present and inform visitors about the company’s global network. The PRG Subrental Portal division (http://subrental.prg.de/en) will also be attending. The portal aims to connect with suppliers, who would like to offer their equipment for rent to PRG. Also at the exhibition will be the newly launched PRG Crew Portal (http://crew.prg.de/en), an online portal that makes connecting and working with PRG easier.

There will be demonstrations of PRG’s Ground Control System and a range of technology innovations by SGM and EAW. The development division of PRG, PRG Projects, will present the latest custom-build LED and control technology products.

One of the highlights of this year‘s PRG XL Video attendance will be a used equipment sale hosted in a 3,000 sqm hall outside the exhibition grounds. More information about this event can be obtained at the ProShop information counter located in the “Festhalle“. A shuttle service to and from the hall will be provided.

In addition to PRG XL Video‘s services and equipment, several sponsors and partners will also be present with stands in the “Festhalle“.
Please refer to our Prolight + Sound website for up to date information on our program at the exhibition.

PRG XL Video, event service and event technology specialist, has opened its new branch in Vienna, Austria. The new location allows for closer proximity to Austrian-based clients which include companies, agencies and institutions.

PRG XL Video in Austria will be managed by Christian Wymetal and René Rarrel. The experienced LED specialists join the company as directors of “Outdoor LED” and will be the main customer contact. Due to their extensive experience in the field of international sport, the main focus of the new branch will be Outdoor LED and sporting events.

The new branch allows Production Resource Group to be physically present in the Austrian market. “Austria is an attractive market for our company“ says Carsten Zwerg, member of the board at PRG, “With Christian Wymetal and René Rarrel we have found two very knowledgable specialists who complete the Austrian team and enable us to support our customers nationally and internationally. We are pleased to have them on board.“

Christian Wymetal and René Rarrel will be present at (the) PRG XL Video (area) in the “Festhalle“ at the Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt.

The world’s leading supplier of entertainment and event technology solutions, Production Resource Group has increased its stock of 7.5mm LED within its Dubai operation to help support a growing demand for a high quality outdoor screen. The company recently took delivery of over 300 square metres of ROE MC-7 LED, which is a recognised touring product for large scale events.

Shortly after arriving in Dubai the screen was put to immediate use to support the opening ceremony of the 2016 Dubai Tour.

“The ROE was the perfect choice of screen for the event” said Bill Ainley, PRG Gearhouse’s Head of Video. “The client’s design and creative concept was based on a curved upstage screen and we had very little time to construct and then de-rig the screen given the location of the event.”

The event was held at the Westin Mina Seyahi Amphitheatre and included an intricate lighting design to make the stage an interactive area for choreographed live entertainment which including world famous cyclists performing stunts.

The lighting design included PRG’s proprietary ‘Best Boy HP’ moving lights. This sort after profile fixture is only available through PRG Gearhouse and uses a 1,500 watt HTI lamp to produce over 33,000 lumens.

Just two weeks later, more than 200sqm of the ROE MC-7 was used to support Dubai’s largest 2 day festival, Redfest DXB.

PRG Gearhouse were appointed to provide full lighting and video for the event which took place at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre and included performances from international artists including Rita Ora, The Vamps, Steve Aoki, Eva Simons and many more.

PRG Gearhouse’s Head of Lighting and project manager for the event, Damien Jackson commented; “It’s always a pleasure working with Done Events and their team. During the fit-up the ROE really shone through given the complex layered approach taken on the upstage screen design. It’s a fairly lightweight product, comes in and out quickly and its performance is rock solid”.

New PRG Lighting Library features growing repository of content that will enhance the user experience

As a part of their shared commitment to empower today's entertainment designers, Vectorworks, Inc. and Production Resource Group (PRG) announce that they will collaboratively develop and implement new features for Vectorworks® Spotlight software. More specifically, PRG will work with Vectorworks' research and development team to develop new tools and object libraries for Spotlight, the standard for CAD software in entertainment design, as well as drive efficient workflows that are crucial to the industry.

"Our goal is to provide state-of-the-art technology and tools that enable designers to explore their ideas so they can ultimately develop, document and communicate designs that create memorable entertainment experiences," said Dr. Biplab Sarkar, CTO of Vectorworks. "We gravitate toward strategic industry partners such as PRG because they are uniquely qualified to provide the resources and services required for our customers."

Vectorworks is a global leader in developing 3D design technologies for the AEC, landscape and entertainment industries, including Spotlight software, which helps professionals in the lighting, scenery, set, event, theatre and exhibit design space balance the need for individual creativity with the requirement for synchronized, accurate design information.

Contributing more than 25 years of experience to the partnership, PRG is the world's leading supplier of entertainment and event technology solutions, providing integrated services and equipment, including audio, video, lighting, rigging, staging and scenery for clients all over the world. With more than 40 offices worldwide, the company has relied on Spotlight software for many years.

"In conjunction with the announcement of this partnership comes our initial efforts with creating a large catalog of PRG gear as library content for Spotlight users," said PRG's Special Operations Director Götz Bauer. "The increased content resources will be a tremendous efficiency gain, making the design development and documentation process even faster for lighting, production and scenic designers."

Initial content that will be shared through this partnership includes PRG’s own line of production equipment including lighting instruments, consoles, LED panels, trusses, motors and media servers. PRG is also adding other content from vendors that it represents and supplies, such as Prolyte Truss and Vari-Lite.

The growing content library is available initially as a first-access benefit for Vectorworks Service Select members and can be downloaded here. To learn more about the growing content library, Vectorworks Service Select members can visit this link

There is one more pin in the map of PRG Alliance’s global reach – they are now present in Morocco with the addition of its new member Touareg Prod’.

Founded in 2001, Touareg Prod’ offers a range of sound, lighting, rigging, and backline solutions to entertainment industry customers as concerts, TV shows, sports, corporate and private events. The company has now about 70 technicians working full time, a head office in downtown Casablanca and a 2,000 square meter warehouse in the industrial zone of Casablanca.
“I am certain that being part of the PRG Alliance will help Touareg Prod’ to do even more amazing things,” says Squalli Farid, Partner/Owner of Touareg Prod’. “We have been in close collaboration with some of the PRG Alliance members already for a few years but now that we are officially in the group we can’t wait to partner with all the members and welcome international events in Morocco, as well as getting the support for our clients abroad.”

Touareg Prod’ is very eager to fully participate in all PRG Alliance activities and to bring as much technical knowledge and business opportunities as possible to Morocco. “We are very busy with several projects recently. It gives us confidence that now is a good time to invest in our business expansion and join PRG Alliance,” continues Farid.

“Morocco was a natural extension to our presence since it is an important destination for corporate events and concert touring in North Africa,” says Tom Van Hemelryck, Director of the PRG Alliance. “We are happy to welcome such a proficient player as Touareg Prod’ to our global team.”

With this new addition to its member’s pool, the PRG Alliance is present today in 25 countries in all continents. The complete list of participant companies and news are available on the PRG Alliance website: www.prgalliance.com.

Sound and Visual is ready to give support to the PRG Alliance with high quality services in audiovisual, lighting, rigging, and translation systems

Greece is a great destination for corporate events, with year-round favorable weather conditions, beautiful nature, and a large number of hotels and conference facilities. The company Sound and Visual - K. Papathanasiou S.A. was invited to join the PRG Alliance due to its wealth of experience in providing technical production services for corporate events and conferences in Greece, such as the EHRA 2013 (European Heart Rhythm Association) and the meetings during the Greek Presidency in the EU in the 1st semester of 2014, showing professionalism and attention to details in their integrated solutions for all technical needs. Sound and Visual also offers services for the live music and television markets, with large events as Mad Video Music Awards, Ermis Awards and others in their portfolio.

Sound and Visual is joining the PRG Alliance to be able to provide their clients with an even higher level of service taking advantage of new opportunities to access high-end technology equipment – following their commitment to focus on technology and new media.

“One of the major values that Sound and Visual embraces is teamwork,” says Konstantinos Papathanasiou, CEO of Sound and Visual. “The company is keen on sharing knowledge with the top professionals in the event industry around the world and on the opportunity to be able to cooperate with them in Greece and abroad.”

“We have been collaborating with Sound and Visual for many years and it is a great pleasure to have them in the PRG Alliance now”, says Tom Van Hemelryck, Director of the PRG Alliance. “Our members’ international clients who choose Greece for their events can count on high-level local support now and dedicate more of their budget to event technology rather than to transportation costs.”

Greece is a promising and continuously increasing market in the event industry and the presence of PRG Alliance in the country can contribute directly in leading it to excellence.

The PRG Alliance today has members in 24 countries – the complete list of participant companies and news are available on Alliance website: www.prgalliance.com.

Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), the world’s leading provider of entertainment and event technology solutions, today announced it will extend its branding in Germany and the United Kingdom to integrate the brand of the recently acquired XL Video Group. The integrated companies will be known as PRG XL Video for a transition period while the operations are being merged.

PRG will continue to use its brand name in all other countries across Europe and North America. XL Video teams in those territories will be immediately transitioned into the PRG family.

“Part of our decision to acquire XL Video was the premier value of its brand in many of our markets,” said Jeremiah J. Harris, PRG’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We recognize that the XL Video name and logo are synonymous with outstanding quality, customer service, and technical expertise in some of our territories, equal to that of PRG – and so after careful consideration, we have decided to operate with integrated branding for a transition period in those locations.”

“Our aim when joining the two companies was to create a strong foundation for continued growth,” said Stephan Paridaen, PRG’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “We believe integrated branding in Germany and the United Kingdom is a terrific introduction of our combined capabilities to our customers and markets.”

Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), the world’s leading provider of entertainment and event technology solutions, today announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of XL Video Group.

“Bringing XL Video into the PRG family profoundly enhances our ability to provide our clients with a comprehensive suite of products and services,” said Jeremiah “Jere” Harris, Chairman and CEO of Production Resource Group. “The true opportunity however, lies in bringing together the industry’s most passionate and committed people. Our shared values and technical expertise will allow the company to continue to innovate and grow in new and exciting ways.”

XL Video’s worldwide locations will now become part of PRG’s network of over 40 locations in key cities around the world. Project teams representing each geography, market, and function across the combined organization are currently working together to align and integrate operations to ensure continued excellence in customer service and support.

New York and Oostende, Belgium May 6, 2015 – Production Resource Group, L.L.C. – (PRG) today announced that it has agreed to acquire the XL Video Group, one of the largest providers of premier multi-market video services. PRG Chairman & CEO Jeremiah J. Harris and Lucas Covers, the Group CEO of XL Video jointly made the announcement.

XL Video, founded in 1995, has established itself as a leading video services supplier around the world. The company is a multi-award winning provider of creative video solutions for concert touring, corporate events, exhibitions, automotive, television, sports, and theatre. Like PRG, XL Video supports creative designers and producers with full technical support in putting together cutting-edge video solutions for some of the most innovative and aesthetically daring shows in the world.

For PRG’s worldwide clients, this acquisition expands their access to the wide range of creative video technology and services that they already enjoy. They can continue to be confident in the quality of product, production expertise, and professionalism when further integrating video into their productions and events.

“By combining XL Video with PRG, we are creating a tremendously valuable resource for event and entertainment producers anywhere in the world”, said PRG’s Harris. “The integrated company will be able to offer an exceptional breadth of production technologies and depth of industry expertise.”

Upon completion, XL Video’s worldwide locations will become part of PRG’s network of over 40 locations in key cities around the world.

“As XL Video, we have worked on some of the largest and highest profile concert tours, television shows, automotive and corporate events around the globe,” commented Covers. “We have established a client base that has become more sophisticated in their expectations of the standard of video production. As part of PRG, we will continue to exceed their expectations and raise the bar on video production.”

Stephan Paridaen, PRG’s Global President and Chief Operating Officer, concluded, “PRG and XL Video are extremely well positioned to provide a multi-disciplined, integrated solution. Making the XL Video team part of the PRG family, will be extremely beneficial to our clients and this has been our top priority from the start.”

The transaction is expected to close before the end of the second quarter subject to customary closing conditions.

The annual prolight+sound trade show has become the foremost exhibition for the live event technology industry and runs alongside the musical instrument fair Musikmesse, the two attractions welcomed over 130,000 visitors through their doors over four show days. The Production Resource Group (PRG) continued their intimate association with the event by supplying lighting, rigging and audio to the Live Entertainment Awards presentation, as well as being their headline sponsor. The LEAs take place every spring on the eve of prolight+sound in the Festhalle arena to pay tribute to the organisers of live events. Our installation utilised stock from throughout the PRG pool and demonstrated our ability to coordinate large groups of people working in different countries to create a production of the highest calibre.

The rig was designed by renowned German designer Jerry Appelt, whose previous credits include the Eurovision song contest, the Delhi commonwealth games opening and closing ceremony and the German X Factor TV show. For this project he crafted a design which showcased a selection of products exclusive to PRG and featured 107 Best Boy washes, 12 Best Boy HPs, 36 Bad Boys and 48 Icon beams. We worked closely with fixture manufacturer SGM who provided 112 G Spots, 152 six packs as well as a host of Q7, P5, P2, Q2 and Q7-W fixtures. Across the stage, entrance and product demonstration area there were 774 lighting fixtures, hung from almost 400M of truss.

Video projection was central to the theme and designed to inject the wow factor into an already adventurous demonstration of our capabilities. The centrepiece of which were five projection mapped geometric screens that tracked around the stage during the 9 minute demonstration. Each screen was projected onto by an individual Barco HDQ40 projector, the media server received tracking information from the rigging control to give the exact positioning of each hoist, and was able to calculate the dimensions of the picture which needed to be projected on each screen. In addition to this elaborate feature there were various side screens and a chandelier made up of 480 SGM LB-100 LED balls. All the video content was driven by a D3 media server and a PRG M Box pro media server.

PRG project manager Tom Kaczmarek oversaw the project and assigned a team of experts to make everything happen. The planning stage of the event took an estimated 1600 hours, before 21 trailer-loads of equipment was unloaded at the Festhalle and the rig was assembled in a mere 36 hours. Production Resource Group were thrilled to have welcome approximately 25,000 clients and industry colleagues into our show space and thank everybody for their support. We look forward to returning to Frankfurt in 2016 with an even more ambitious way of showing the rest of the industry what we can do.

Production Resource Group LLC, (PRG) the world’s leading provider of entertainment and event technology solutions, announced the acquisition of Chaos Visual Productions. Headquartered in Burbank, CA, with an office in Bedfordshire, U.K., Chaos provides full service video production for live events. Both PRG and Chaos have built a solid reputation in the industry for combining innovative technology with an international team of highly experienced industry professionals.

“Chaos Visual Productions will be joining forces with PRG Nocturne,” says Mickey Curbishley, CEO, PRG Concert Touring. “It is very exciting to consider the creative and technical solutions that will result from this acquisition which brings together the world’s two most innovative touring video companies. It also creates a single team of the most respected; experienced; and talented minds working in video production today. PRG Nocturne and Chaos, under PRG’s one roof, will create a powerful production resource for our clients in the music industry.”

Through this acquisition, PRG increases their industry leading expert production talent pool with the addition of industry veterans John Wiseman, Nick Jackson, Marty Wickman, and Valdis Dauksts, who will work alongside Bob Brigham and Ron Proesel of PRG Nocturne under the leadership of Curbishley.

Chaos clients will benefit from PRG’s global, multi-disciplined, and integrated platform of lighting, scenic, audio, video, and technology solutions focused on the specific needs of the music industry. “This is a great move for our people and our clients,” comments John Wiseman, President and CEO of Chaos. “I anticipate we will work successfully and creatively together. The opportunity to work with PRG allows us to be part of the best team in the industry and deliver outstanding results for our clients on a global scale.”

Curbishley concludes, “The addition of Chaos Visual Productions into PRG will further strengthen our continued growth and reinforces our commitment to artists, designers, and production managers. We are very pleased to welcome the Chaos team to PRG.”